Chapter 3 The silence

The slam of Noah's truck door still echoed in Amelia's ears long after he drove away.

Liam had fallen asleep on the couch, a half-eaten peanut butter sandwich still on his plate, cartoons flickering in soft blue light across his peaceful face.

But Amelia sat in the darkened kitchen, knees pulled to her chest, coffee gone cold beside her.

The silence in the house wasn't peaceful.

It was deafening.

She knew this day would come - the day she would have to face Noah again, the day the secret she had carried for five long years would no longer be her burden alone.

But it hadn't made it any easier.

And the look in his eyes...

That hurt. That betrayal. That quiet devastation.

It would haunt her forever.

---

Across town, Noah sat in the back lot of the hardware store, arms braced on his knees, a cigarette burning slowly between his fingers - the first he'd smoked in years.

He hated the taste, hated the habit.

But right now, he needed the burn in his lungs to feel something other than the cold rage boiling in his chest.

"Jesus," he muttered, raking a hand through his hair.

A son.

He had a son.

And no one had told him.

No call. No message. No letter. Not even a whisper through the gossip vines of Willow Creek.

He felt like the ground had split beneath him.

Five years lost.

First steps. First words. First birthday. First everything. Gone.

He thought he had buried his past with Amelia.

Tucked it away in a box marked over and done with.

But now that box had exploded - and all the sharp, painful pieces were cutting their way out.

He flicked the cigarette away, grinding the embers under his boot.

Behind him, the back door creaked open.

"Thought I'd find you here," came a familiar voice.

Noah looked up to see Jake, his cousin and part-time foreman, leaning against the frame, arms crossed.

"You okay?" Jake asked carefully.

Noah snorted. "Define 'okay'."

Jake gave a low whistle. "So it's true, huh? Amelia's back."

"Yep."

"And she's got a kid?"

Noah nodded.

Jake stepped closer. "And it's yours?"

Noah didn't answer. He didn't have to.

Jake let out a breath. "Damn."

"Yeah," Noah said flatly.

"You gonna talk to her?"

"I did."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Noah shook his head. "She said she was scared. That it was complicated. Like that explains stealing five years of my kid's life."

Jake didn't argue. He knew Noah too well.

"So what now?"

"I don't know." Noah's voice cracked. "I don't even know the kid's name. I don't know if he likes trucks or trains or bugs or basketball. I don't know anything, Jake."

Silence stretched between them.

Then, softly: "His name's Liam."

Noah froze.

He didn't know why hearing it hit so hard - but it did.

Liam.

His son had a name.

A name he hadn't chosen.

A name he hadn't even known existed until yesterday.

He stood abruptly, heart racing. "I need to think."

"You know where I'll be," Jake said, stepping aside.

Noah walked out into the hot afternoon sun, the name Liam echoing through his chest like a prayer and a curse all at once.

---

Back at the house, Amelia stood at the kitchen sink, staring at the empty street through the window.

She should have told him years ago.

She should have found the courage - or the decency - to reach out.

To give Noah the right to choose, even if she had been terrified of the answer.

But she had been twenty-two, newly pregnant, broke, and far from home.

And when she'd finally worked up the nerve, he had already left town, chasing his own future, unreachable.

And then she had told herself it was better this way.

That Liam didn't need the chaos.

That Noah didn't need the burden.

That the past was better left buried.

But now the past stood right across the street, and her lie had finally caught up with her.

Liam stirred on the couch, rubbing his eyes.

"Mommy?"

She went to him quickly, brushing his hair back. "Hey, sweet boy. Hungry?"

He nodded sleepily.

As she reheated dinner, her thoughts raced.

She would tell Liam the truth. One day.

Soon.

But only when she was sure it wouldn't shatter his world.

And maybe... if Noah wanted to be part of their lives, they could figure out how to do this without breaking everything again.

---

The next afternoon, fate decided to intervene.

She hadn't wanted to run into Noah again - not so soon - but Willow Creek had a way of closing in fast.

The grocery store was nearly empty, its air conditioning weak against the heat. Amelia moved quickly through the aisles, Liam riding in the cart, pointing excitedly at cereal boxes.

They were turning the corner toward the frozen foods when they nearly collided.

Noah.

Amelia froze, cart jerking to a halt.

Noah blinked, startled. Then his eyes fell on Liam, who was busy humming to himself, unaware of the storm building above him.

For a moment, neither adult spoke.

"Hi," she said finally, voice low.

Noah nodded once. "Hey."

She moved the cart slightly, as if to escape, but Liam looked up just then - and saw him.

"Hey, I know you!" he said brightly. "You're the man from the other day."

Amelia's heart seized.

Noah crouched down slowly, eye-level with the boy.

His boy.

"Hey there, buddy," he said, voice gentler than she expected. "What's your name?"

"Liam," he grinned. "I'm five. I like dinosaurs and grilled cheese and Mommy lets me stay up on Fridays if I'm good."

Noah smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Well, Liam," he said, glancing up at Amelia, "that sounds pretty great."

Liam beamed. "You wanna see my dino?"

He pulled it from the cart, showing it proudly.

Noah took it in his hand like it was made of glass.

Amelia felt her throat tighten.

She watched them - the ease between them, the natural way Liam leaned toward him, the quiet heartbreak in Noah's expression as he handed the toy back.

It was too much.

"I should go," she said quickly. "Liam, say goodbye."

"But-"

"Now, sweetie."

Liam pouted, then gave a small wave. "Bye, mister!"

Noah straightened, towering over her now.

"So this is how it's going to be?" he asked quietly.

Amelia met his gaze. "I don't know."

"I want to know him," he said. "He's mine too."

She nodded, tears threatening again. "I know."

"I want to be in his life."

Amelia's voice shook. "Are you sure? Because once you're in it, Noah, you can't just disappear again."

"I didn't disappear," he snapped. "You did."

The words struck deep.

She closed her eyes, breathing in slowly.

"I'm not the same person I was," she whispered.

"Neither am I."

Silence again.

But this time, it wasn't angry. It was aching.

A thousand things unsaid hovered between them - the apology she hadn't made, the love she never stopped feeling, the future that might still be possible.

"Call me," Noah said finally, pulling a slip of paper from his wallet. "When you're ready to talk. Really talk."

She took it.

Their fingers brushed.

And just like that - he was gone.

---